New Zealand's Lake Wanaka Tree Is Being Destroyed by Tourists

In the latest installment of "tourists behaving badly" yet another natural landmark has been damaged by overzealous travelers. The victim this time around? New Zealand's Lake Wanaka Tree. You've probably seen it all over Instagram, or even on its dedicated Facebook page: A lone willow marooned in the lake, with branches skimming the surface. It makes for breathtaking pictures; however, as we've often seen with viral vacation photos, it's paying a terrible price.

Though the "Lake Wanaka Tree" is, well, in a lake, the water levels are often low enough for tourists to walk through and climb the tree, which causes a lot of strain—a branch even snapped off just before Christmas in 2017. This is in part due to the delicate nature of the species: As Tim Errington, the arboricultural officer for the Queenstown Lakes District Council, told Lonely Planet the Wanaka tree is a crack willow (salix fragilis), named for brittle wood that easily breaks. But the tree's environment is also challenging to begin with, according to Errington. Because the roots are often totally submerged by cold water, the tree's growth is slow, making it difficult for areas that have been damaged to regenerate.

In order to prevent further deterioration, the New Zealand Tourism Board will be installing warning signs around the Wanaka Tree, written in English and Mandarin.
And, just to make it abundantly clear that climbing is a no-no, there will also be an accompanying graphic. Errington explained that the Queenstown Lakes District Council is hesitant to put up fencing, fearing it might detract from the surrounding natural beauty. "Though, should any further damage be sustained, Queenstown Lakes District Council may have to look into more substantial solutions to the issue around people climbing and damaging this very unique tree,” he said.

Climbing has also been banned at Australia's Uluru Rock—popularly known as "The Big Red Rock"—out of respect for its ties to Aboriginal culture. And other landmarks have banned selfie-taking, like Disney, Lake Tahoe, and Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The moral of the story? When you're on vacation, put down your phone—and don't climb on things you're not supposed to.